The Eye of the Beholder
by TheSeeker331
Summary: AU. When Katara gives a boy with a rather poor sense of fashion a makeover, she finds out that he's in love with her. To prevent him from acting on his feelings, she makes it clear that they will just be friends. The makeover becomes a greater success than anticipated and Katara falls for him. But is it too late?


**Chapter One**

* * *

"Just a bit more" Katara mutters as she adjusts Sokka's collar.

He jerks away from her. "That's it! You need to stop Katara!"

"Yeah," Suki interjects. "You've been acting a little crazy lately. I'm pretty sure you've adjusted everyone within a one mile radius."

"Ugh," Katara groans as she slumps against her locker. "I can't help it. Ever since I saw that TV show with the extreme makeovers, I can't stop."

"Awh poor Katara doesn't have anyone to play dress up with," Sokka teases.

Katara elbows him in the gut.

"Ouch!" He shrieks. "Sukiiiiii!"

"You kind of deserved that one Sokka," She pauses. "But seriously Katara, you need to stop."

"I want to-If I could just give one person a full makeover, I promise I would stop."

"Great," Sokka mutters. "Now, all we have to do in find some desperate simpleton willing to receive a makeover from you."

Katara elbows him again.

"How about that Zuko guy in our art class Katara?" Suki chimes in. "Minus the desperate simpleton part, I think he'd be a great candidate."

"Zuko?" Sokka stammers. "Don't you think he's a little, ohhh I don't know? What's the word? Weird, awkward, strange, odd, bizarre…"

Katara eyes him as he approaches the set of lockers across from theirs. His hair is long and shaggy, falling well past his shoulders. He wears a set of huge 1980s looking glasses. And his clothes are so baggy that they're practically falling off.

Oh, he would definitely be a challenge.

But beyond the mess he appears to be on the outside, she can tell there's a halfway descent-looking guy inside of him struggling to break free.

She turns back to Suki smiling. "I actually think that's a great idea."

"Whoop de doo," Sokka begins. "He's never going to agree. What are you going to say? _Hi, I'm Katara. And is it ok if I give you a makeover_?" He mocks.

Katara smirks at her know-it-all brother. "Yupp, Sokka. That's exactly what I'm going to do."

She saunters over to Zuko's locker and flashes him her signature grin. "Hi, I'm Katara. And is it ok if I give you a makeover?"

He gazes at her, shocked for a moment, before smiling goofily back at her. "Sure." He replies enthusiastically.

"That's great!" She shoves a piece of paper in his hands. "Here's my address, be there today at four!"

He nods vigorously. "Yeah, I'll be there."

"Ok, thanks. You don't know how much this means to me." She smiles at him once more before walking back towards Sokka and Suki.

Sokka openly gapes at her, while Suki nods in approval.

"Close your mouth Sokka. It's not a good look."

Slowly, he rolls his eyes and complies.

"Look, I can't do this alone. I'm going to need your help."

"Ok," Suki begins. "What do you want us to do?"

"Uhm, what do you think you can do? What part of him do you think you can improve?"

"Hmm," Suki muses aloud. "I can cut that mangy hair of his. After all, I am pretty good at cutting my own."

'That's awesome!" Katara exclaims. "How about you Sokka? What can you do?"

Begrudgingly, he responds. "I can probably give him some cool lessons, you know? Be a sort of cool consultant. Show him how to score with the ladies."

Suki holds back laughter. "Please Sokka."

"What?" He smiles mischievously at her. "My moves worked with you didn't they?"

"If you say so," she responds.

Before the two could continue, Katara interjects. "That'll be fine Sokka. I'm sure he can learn something from you…even if it's what not to do."

"I resent that!" He retorts.

"Anyways, he's coming by our house at four. Sokka, I need you to find out as much as you can about him before he comes over. His likes and dislikes, so we can translate that into his new look."

"Why me?" He whines. "Why can't one of you do it?"

"Because you're a guy, and it's less suspicious that way." Katara explains.

"Fine. Whatever."

The bell rings, signaling that it's time for homeroom.

Katara beams as she walks away. "See you guys at four!"

* * *

"Suki, where is Sokka?" Katara paces back and forth. "It's 3:59 and he's still not here!"

Suki looks up at her lazily from the living room couch. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? Isn't he your brother?"

"That's not the point!" Katara retorts.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be here before-"

Ding.

Whatever Suki is going to say is cut off by the ringing of the doorbell.

Oh no, Katara mentally panics. She isn't ready. She doesn't have all the information she needs. She doesn't-

"Katara, you have to answer the door. How long are you going make the poor guy stand out there?" Suki asks.

Katara nods. Suki is right. She takes a deep breath and opens the door.

Sokka and Zuko stand on the other side beaming at her.

"Hi," she begins. "Come in!"

She wants to smack Sokka. In fact, she would have if Zuko weren't there.

For a moment, the four of them stand in awkward silence.

Zuko breaks it by laying his backpack on the floor. "I hate to be rude," he begins. "But is there a bathroom I can use?"

Sokka is the first to speak up. "Sure bud. Down the hall, first door on your right."

"Thanks bro" Zuko responds.

As soon as Zuko's body recedes down the hall, Katara lays into Sokka.

"Where have you been?! And since when are you and Zuko bros?!"

"I've been doing exactly what you asked me to do Katara. I've been finding out information about him."

"Oh really?" Katara scoffs. "And what'd you find out?"

"Just that our friend Zuko has a huge crush on some girl. And he's hoping this whole makeover thing will get her attention."

Katara squeals. "Who is she? We could change his entire life with this! He could ride off into the sunset with his dream girl all because of us!"

Sokka sighs. "That was the only thing he wouldn't tell me."

"Well, at least you weren't completely useless." Katara responds.

"Hey," Suki interrupts. "Give him more credit than that. He did a great job and I'm proud of him." She smiles at Sokka.

Katara throws herself on the couch. "I know, Sokka did do a great job. I'm just frustrated. We're so close to changing his entire life. And we don't even know who the girl he wants to impress so badly is."

"It's ok. We don't have to know that." Suki adds softly.

"I know but—Wait a minute! Lightbulb!" Katara jumps off the couch and runs towards Zuko's backpack.

"Katara, what are you doing?" Sokka asks.

"I'm going through his things."

"Katara, I'm pretty sure that isn't cool. And it's gotta be all types of illegal." Suki says.

"It's not illegal if I'm not stealing anything. Can one of you keep an eye out? Just let me know if he's coming."

She begins rummaging through his things. She finds candy bar wrappers and empty chip bags among other things. After a few moments, she begins scanning through his notebooks, maybe he doodled the girl's name somewhere?

"Katara, hurry up. I think I hear him flushing." Sokka urges.

"What are you looking for anyways?" Suki asks.

"A clue. A name. I don't know, something that will tell us who this girl is." Katara responds.

"Just put his stuff up. I think I hear him coming." Suki insists.

"Just one more minute."

"We don't have a minute Katara."

Katara continues rummaging. "AH-HA!" She exclaims. At the bottom of his bag, she finds a tiny, red flipbook with a heart scrawled on the outside. This is it; it has to be.

She begins flipping through the pages. A small heart expands from the pages; inside of it the makings of a face grow. On the final page, the drawing is complete. Katara is shocked, but not by how accurate the drawing was. But by whose face is inside of the heart, a face all too familiar to her.

Her face.

Carelessly, she shoves the contents Zuko's things back inside his bag; and runs to stand with Sokka and Suki.

Softly, Suki whispers. "Well, did you find out anything? Who does he like?"

"Yeah," Sokka urges. "Hurry and tell us before he comes back."

"Me." Katara is barely able to squeak out before Zuko steps back inside the room, in all of his mangy hair glory. "He likes me."

From the corner of her eye, she can see Sokka is on the verge of exploding. "I'll handle this." She mutters as she steps towards Zuko.

He smiles at her, so innocently, so sweetly that she almost feels bad for what she's about to do. But it has to be done. He's nice enough, but he isn't her type.

"I just want to thank you again for doing this Zuko. You're an amazing _friend_."

"Friend?" He asks.

"Yeah, you know makeovers are something friends do to help their friends. And **only** their friends. Like I've done this sort of thing for Suki. So, you're kind of like Suki."

"Oh," he says sadly. "So you're saying we're all just friends?"

"Exactly!" Katara exclaims. "Now that we all understand each other, let's do this!"

* * *

 **A/N: I had such fun writing this! I hope you guys had just as much fun reading it. My version of Zuko is rather dorky and awkward right now. Next chapter, he has his "makeover" which is kind of just going to be a drabble from each person and then the big reveal at the end with Katara's reaction. I can't wait to hear from you!**


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